pantheon-org/load-context

Load Context

Load session state from .context/session/CONTEXT-{stream}-llm.md and optionally expand full resources.

Speed: < 3 seconds (default), 5-8 seconds (--full)

⚠️ AskUserQuestion Guard

CRITICAL: After EVERY AskUserQuestion call, check if answers are empty/blank. Known Claude Code bug: outside Plan Mode, AskUserQuestion silently returns empty answers without showing UI.

If answers are empty: DO NOT proceed with assumptions. Instead:

1. Output: "⚠️ Questions didn't display (known Claude Code bug outside Plan Mode)."
2. Present the options as a numbered text list and ask user to reply with their choice number.
3. WAIT for user reply before continuing.

Performance Rules

1. Use rtk for ALL shell commands
2. Parallel tool calls — ALL independent calls in one message
3. Minimize round-trips
4. No unnecessary synthesis — present parsed data directly

Workflow

Phase 1: Detect & Read (parallel)

Bash: rtk ls -t .context/session/CONTEXT-*llm.md .context/session/done/CONTEXT-*llm.md 2>/dev/null || true
Read: .context/session/CONTEXT-{stream}-llm.md (if stream known from $ARGUMENTS)

If not found in .context/session/, check .context/session/done/ subfolder. If found there, note 📦 (from done/) in report.

If multiple streams and no selection → AskUserQuestion with options (mark done/ files with 📦).

Filename: "default" → .context/session/CONTEXT-llm.md, "{name}" → .context/session/CONTEXT-{name}-llm.md

Phase 2: Expand Resources (if --full)

Parallel Read: OpenSpec project/proposal/tasks.md, top 3 hot files, manifest.yaml. DO NOT restore tasks — informational only.

Thinking Artifacts (if ## Thinking Artifacts section exists in CONTEXT file):

• Default mode: display artifact paths in resume report (no content read)
• --full mode: Read referenced thinking artifacts and include brief summaries in report

Phase 3: Format Resume Report

Parse key-value header + markdown sections → human-friendly report.

See reference.md for section mapping, report structure, error messages, and formatting rules.

Philosophy

• Resume, don't restart — loading context is about continuing with intent intact, not re-reading a history log.
• Trust the INDEX.md — the index is the authoritative pointer to current context; do not browse the directory manually.
• Verify before acting — a loaded context must be confirmed against the current task before influencing decisions.
• Done means done — contexts in done/ are retired; loading them requires explicit user confirmation.

When to Use

• At the start of a new session when .context/session/INDEX.md or CONTEXT-*.md files exist from prior work.
• When resuming interrupted work and the agent needs prior decisions, open tasks, and rationale.
• When the user says "load context", "resume session", "continue where I left off", or similar.
• When switching between named work streams and a specific CONTEXT-{name}-llm.md snapshot exists.
• When --full expansion is needed to bring in hot files, proposals, or thinking artifacts alongside the base context.

When Not to Use

• When starting a genuinely new session with no prior .context/session/ files — there is nothing to load.
• When the user has explicitly asked to start fresh or discard prior context.
• When only a quick one-off question is being answered and persistent session state is irrelevant.
• When the context files are clearly stale (weeks old and unrelated to the current task) — load only after confirming with the user.
• When the target CONTEXT-*.md file is already loaded in the current session and re-loading would cause duplication.

Anti-Patterns

• NEVER load context from done/ without checking dates — Stale context from completed sessions misleads current decisions. Why: The done/ folder contains retired sessions; always check INDEX.md first to confirm the most recent active context before falling back to done/.
• NEVER skip verifying the session_id after load — Loading the wrong context silently diverges from the user's intent. Why: Multiple streams may coexist in .context/session/; the wrong file causes invisible drift and incorrect assumptions.
• NEVER proceed with assumptions when AskUserQuestion returns empty — Blank answers mean the UI never rendered. Why: A known Claude Code bug silently swallows questions outside Plan Mode; always fall back to a numbered text list and wait for a reply.
• NEVER restore tasks from the context file as actionable work items — Context files are informational snapshots, not live task lists. Why: The --full expansion is read-only; acting on tasks from a snapshot without user confirmation can duplicate or conflict with current work.
• NEVER omit the 📦 (from done/) marker when reporting a done/-sourced file — Users need to know the context came from an archived session. Why: Presenting done/ context without a marker makes it indistinguishable from an active session, causing confusion about what work is current.

Usage Examples

Loading context at the start of a resumed session:

# Skill reads .context/session/INDEX.md to find the latest snapshot
# Loads .context/session/CONTEXT-2026-04-10-143022.md
# Agent now has prior decisions, open tasks, and rationale

Loading a named work stream:

# User: "load context --stream api-redesign"
# Skill loads .context/session/CONTEXT-api-redesign-llm.md
# Resume report shows stream name, last updated timestamp, and open items

Expanding full resources with --full:

# User: "load context --full"
# Skill loads .context/session/CONTEXT-llm.md (base)
# Also reads top 3 hot files and thinking artifacts referenced in ## Thinking Artifacts
# Report includes brief summaries of each artifact; tasks remain read-only

References

• Reference — detailed section mapping, report structure, error messages, and formatting rules